FIR against 28 for rioting in Surat

As video of the incident went viral on social media, mobs of the two communities gathered in the area and started pelting stones. Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the mobs. Three policemen had sustained injuries in the stone pelting.

Following the incident, around 10 families of minority community of Madanpura area left their houses and went to nearby localities dominated by their community.

Mohammed Kalim Ansari, who works in a textile firm, said, “My children were preparing for their exams. They are shocked and afraid as some of the notorious elements in the rally banged on our doors. I called up my relatives and sought their help. After the procession passed away, we shifted to our relative’s house. We sought help from the police constables present in the procession, but they did not listen to us.”

On Sunday evening, Inspector N D Solanki called a meeting of the leaders of the two communities at Limbayat police station and urged them to maintain peace in the area and also to help police identify and arrest the accused involved in the stone pelting incidents. “We have got the CCTV footage and identified those involved in climbing on the mosque. We have rounded up some of the youths. Residents had taken out rally in their area and they had not sought any police permission. We will also take legal steps against them,” Joint Commissioner of Police Harikrishna Patel said.